Detachable casket-handle.



J. c. BECK & J. M. 11011111110113. DETAGHABLE GASKET HANDLE. APPLICATIONFILED MAB..26, 1914.

1,128,573. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

-WITNES$ES: 6

W ATTORNEY.

"HE NORRIS PETERS co.. PHOTOLITHO WASHING TON, D. C.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

JOHN C. BECK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, AND JAMES M. DODDRIDGE, OF MILTON,INDIANA.

DETACI-IABLE CASKET-HANDLE.

Application filed March 26, 1914..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN C. BECK and JAMESM. DODDRIDGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis,in the county of Marion, and Milton, in the county of Waynerespectively, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usefulDetachable Casket-Handle, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to boxes or receptacles that are required to becarried by hand, especially burial caskets or coffins, the inventionhaving reference more particularly to detachable handles and name platesadapted for use thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved frame or platewhich may be slightly modified for various purposes, and improved meansfor detachably securing the frame or plate to a box or receptacle.

A further object is to provide an improved frame or name plate thatshall be attractive in appearance and permit of its being made invarious ornamental designs, more particularly in order that customersmay select styles of coffins or caskets according to their fancy withinexpensive attachments to which any one of the different styles ofhandles or name plates preferred may be detachably connected, so thatthey may be saved after having served their purpose -and economicallyused repeatedly.

A still further object is to provide a detachable casket handle thatshall be so constructed as to be adapted to be quickly applied to acasket and also readily removed therefrom, and which shall be strong andreliable in use.

WVith the above mentioned and other objects in view the inventionconsists in a novel base or holding device adapted to be permanentlysecured to a casket or box, and in a novel frame or plate adapted to beconnected firmly to the base or holding device and-provided with amovable latch for removably securing the frame or plate to the base orholding device, the invention consisting further in the parts andcombinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularlydescribed and further defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a burial casket orcofiin provided Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1c, 1915.

Serial No. 827,467.

with the improved detachable handles and also the improved name plate aspreferably constructed; Fig. 2, a fragmentary top plan of the caskethaving the improved base or holding device thereon; Fig. 3, afragmentary perspective view of the casket having one of the detachablehandles thereon; Fig. 4, a section approximately on the line A A in Fig.3; Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of thecasket to which the improved base or holder is secured; Fig. 6, aperspective View of the improved name plate partially broken away, andFig. 7 is a rear elevation of the handle frame or the name plate.

In the different figures of the drawings, similar reference charactersindicate corresponding elements or features of construction hereinreferred to and described.

As illustrating one of the useful purposes for which the invention isadvantageously used, a burial casket is shown which comprises a cover 1,aside wall 2, and a bottom 3. The side wall is provided with a suitablenumber of holders comprising each a base plate 4 which preferably iscomposed of sheet metal and is placed against the wall and permanentlysecured thereto by suitable means, such as stove bolts 5, 5. The platepreferably is longer vertically than in horizontal direction, and itsnormal lower end portion is bent or extends outward and constitutes aflange or support 6 from which extends a lip or connecting device 7 thatpreferablyis formed by bending the metal over so as to extend upwardopposite to the main portion of the plate, to be engaged by a tongue ona front plate. The normal upper portion of the plate is bent or extendsoutward so as to form a flange or lug 8 that is opposite to the flange 6and it has an opening or recess 9 therein to receive a latch bolt. Theholder may be secured to the lid as shown.

The improved handle frame preferably is formed as a casting of suitableornamental design and comprises a front plate 10 having a flange 11thereon adapted to have contact with a plane surface of the casket. Theplate preferably is oblong or longer horizontally than vertically innormal position, and the lower portion of the flange preferably has agap 12 therein adapted to receive the flange 6, two guide ribs 13 and 14extending from the flange 11 at opposite sides of the gap and along thefront plate 10 to which they are integrally connected. The guides serveto guide the frame or name plate relatively to the base or holder. Theinner side of the plate 19 has a relativelythick base portion 15 fixedthereon that has a preferably tapering or 'wedge-shaped tongue orprojection 16 thereon adapted to be moved into engagement with the innerside .of the lip 7 for connecting and securing the lower portion of thehandle frame to the holder. The inner side of the plate '10 preferablyhas also two guide ribs 17 and 18 on the upper portion thereof toreceive the lug or flange 8. the plate having also a relatively thickportion 19 adapted to form a shoulder '20 that extends opposite to theupper portion of the flange 11 and providing space into which the lug 8is received, the shoulder normally engaging the under side of the lug. Aguideway 21 is formed atthe inner side of the plate and also an abutment22 having a guideway 23 therein. A latch bolt 24 is movably arranged inthe guideway 21 and has a guide rod '25 thereon extending through theguideway 23, a spring 26 being seated under compression between thelatch bolt and the abutment so as to extend about the rod. The latchbolt is beveled on the end portion thereof so as to be readily retractedwhen pushed against the lug or flange '8 when applying the frame to theholder, the latch bolt being projected by its spring into the opening orrecess 9. The latch bolt is retained in its guideway by means of a guideplate 27 secured to the relatively thick portion 19 which constitutes-alatch frame. The latch boltflis provided with an operating stem 28 thatextends through slot 29 formed in the plate 10, the stempreferably'being provided with a cover plate 30 that covers the slot.the stem being provided also with a knob 31 on its front end.

The front of the plate 1-0 is provided with lugs 32 and .33 to whicharms 34 and 735 provided wit-h a handle bar 36 are re spectivelyconnected preferably by means of pivots 3:7. The handle bar, as will beseen, may be made in various lengths, in some cases extending throughoutthe length of the casket so as .to be connected with a number of'handleframes. The plate 10,

as will be understood, is modified by omit- 55 ting the lugs 32 and 33therefrom and a name 58 is placed on the front of the plate, the latterbeing arranged upon the lidl of casket, so that in case the name plateis fixpensive i may be removed immediately before the burial takesplace,

In rr us the hand f me is placed t the m of t e h l r an a a 's'iightinclination with the lower portion of th fl nge 11 n c n-t ct ith the lof the 65 gasket and so that the flange 6 is between the guide ribs 13and 14., the tongue 16 being above the lip 7 after which the frame ismoved slightly so as to bring the tongue behind the lip, thus connectingthe lower portion of the frame to'the base plate, after which the plateis moved over entirely against the wall of the casket which brings theshoulder 20 against the under side of the lug 8, the latch bolt beingforcibly retracted and spring-pressed immediately afterward into theopening or recess 9, thus completely connecting the frame to its holder,the operation being quickly and reliably performed. The name plate isconnected to its holder on the lid in the same manner. After the handlesor the name plate have served their purpose and it is desired to removethem, it is only necessary to manipulate the knob 31 so as to retractthe latch bolt, after which the upper portion of the handle frame orplate is moved outward and permits the plate to be lifted upwardly andforwardly iso to disconnect the tongue 16 fromthe 1p Having thusdescribed the invention what is claimed as new is.

1. A frame comprising a front plate provided with an inclosing bearingflange having a gap therein. the plate having a tongue extending towardthe gap, a latch bolt movably mounted on the front plate, and a basehaving a flange adapted to fill the gap in the flange of the plate andto be engaged by the tongue. the base having an opening to receive thelatch bolt.

2. A detachable handle holder comprising a base plate adapted to besecured to a support, one end of the plate having a supporting memberprovided with a connecting device adaptedto be engaged by a connectingtongue on a front plate, the opposite end of the base plate having a lugprovided with an opening adapted to receive a latch bolt carried by saidfront plate.

3. A handle frame comprising a front plate provided with a guideway andalso an abutment the plate having a slot there.-

in adjacent the guidewaryta latch bolt Inc mo abl i he. gu w v, prmetween the bolt" and the abutment, a stem secured to the bolt andextending through the. slot. lugs fiXed on the front Pl te, n a handlear on cted w the lugs, for connection with a holder having a s n on e dp o ided w t a eces t receive the latch bolt.

.4. The combinationofa base having a fla g 1 o end p r n t e eof, the sppesite end portion of the base being .conunte to b e g g d y a la belt,a rnnt plate havi g a an e e ecn and ad pte t c ver the b e the flange othe cover having a gap t e n t e'i ve the flang he base, mean fo c nncting the front plate to the flange of the base ands-a latch boltmovably mounted on the front plate to engage said opposite end of thebase.

5. A detachable casket handle comprising a base plate having a flange onone end and a lug on the opposite end thereof, the flange having a lipthereon extending toward the lug, the lug having a recess thereinopposite to the flange, a frame provided with an inclosing flange havinga gap therein to receive the flange of the base, the frame hav ing atongue thereon to engage the lip and having also a shoulder to engagethe lug of the base, the frame having also a slot there in adjacent theshoulder, a latch bolt mounted on the frame and provided with a springto project the bolt into the recess, and a stem secured to the bolt andextending through the slot.

6. The combination of a base plate adapted to be secured to a support,one end of the plate having a supporting member provided with aconnecting device, the opposite end of the base plate having a lugprovided with an opening, the lug and the connecting device beingarranged oppositely each to the other, with a front plate provided witha tongue for engagement with the connecting device, and a latch boltmovably mounted on the front plate to be entered into the opening of thelug.

7. The combination with a base plate adapted to be secured to a support,one end of the plate being provided with a connecting device, theopposite end of the plate having a lug opposite to the connecting devicethat is provided with an opening, of a front plate provided with aninclosing flange thereon and adapted to cover the base plate, the frontplate having members on the inner side thereof constructed for guidingentrance between the connecting device and the lug of the base plate,one of 'said members being adapted to be connected mounted in theguideway and projectable beyond the shoulder and toward the flange, aspring between the bolt and the abutment and normally projecting thebolt, and an operating device connected to the bolt and extendingthrough and beyond the front plate, for connection with a holder havinga lug on one end to be received between the flange and the shoulder andprovided with an opening to receive the latch bolt.

9. A detachable handle holder comprising a base plate adapted to besecured to a support, one end of the plate having a flange thereonprovided with a lip extending toward the opposite end of said plateadapted to be engaged by a tongue on a front plate, the opposite end ofsaid plate having a lug provided with an opening adapted to receive alatch bolt carried by said front plate.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN C. BECK. JAMES M. DODDRIDGE.

Witnesses:

E. T. SILVIUS, M. E. SPARROW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

